Vandals drive through East Manchester Twp sunflower field

A lone sunflower stands in an East Manchester Township field that was vandalized early this week. (Daily Record/Sunday News -- Jason Plotkin)

Dan Gross has seen vandalism of fields during his many years of farming but nothing quite like the destruction he discovered earlier this week.

Someone had driven through five of his fields in the 100 block of Gravel Hill Road in East Manchester Township sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning.

The vehicle crashed through a fence, through a sunflower field, an adjacent cornfield and then back through a fence, he said.

The vehicle then crossed a lane on the property, a pasture, and then began heading parallel to Gravel Hill Road, striking about 75 feet of fencing.

Northeastern Regional Police Chief Bryan Rizzo said the vehicle caused about $10,000 in damage to crops and fence sections.

Police continue to investigate and seek information that could lead to finding the vehicle and its driver. Gross is offering a $500 reward.

"This has been an ongoing issue in this area for probably a good eight months to a year," Rizzo said Wednesday. "We suspect it is probably the same person or persons. ... We've been trying to catch somebody."

Rizzo said most of the vandalism has occurred on the weekends, but, "this is the most damage we've had."

Police do not have a description of the vehicle.

Dan Gross said he spent Monday repairing his fence so his cattle didn't get out. It was time away from his other tasks during a busy harvest season. He compared the vandalism to having someone break into a store and destroy merchandise inside.

To help

Anyone with information is asked to call Northeastern Regional Police at 717-266-6195.